New meaning to `on the run'

For the first time in Illinois high school football history, seven players rushed for more than 2,000 yards in a season, and six of them wound up in the first- or second-team offensive backfield of the Tribune's 1996 All-State Football Team. Good thing the seventh 2,000-yard man, Wilmington's Damien Anderson, also plays free safety, because that allowed him to nab a spot in the second-team defensive secondary.

Same for Palatine's Bubba Mariani, easily among the state's top running backs. His 1,910 yards came up a bit short in the rushing department, but his five interceptions--including TD returns of 102 and 55 yards--placed him on the first-team defensive secondary.

Dunbar's Rausell Harvey (2,636 yards), Providence's Louis Medina (2,564) and Joliet Catholic's James Randle (2,514) have all blown right by Dan Bowman of Sciota Northwestern in the record book. Bowman--who ran for 2,421 yards in '89--had been No. 2 on the all-time single-season rushing list until this season.

Harvey could close in on 3,000 after facing Loyola in the Prep Bowl Friday afternoon at Soldier Field. Medina will be chasing Harvey and running away from Metamora in the Class 4A championship game at 7 p.m. Friday at Illinois State. Randle will know what he needs to pass both going into his team's 5A title game Saturday against Mt. Carmel.

Harvey and Medina were obvious first-team choices, while Larkin's Vince Webber (2,032 yards, 30 TDs) made it averaging 10.1 yards per carry against stiff competition in the Upstate Eight. Further proof came with the 310 yards he piled up against a tough Evanston defense in the playoffs.

This was indeed the year of the running back, with a possible sequel in '97: Harvey, Webber and Harris are juniors.

"We knew he was fast from watching the films, but he left our kids grabbing at air," said Wheaton-Warrenville South defensive coordinator Ron Muhitch about Harvey, who ran for 238 yards and two TDs in Dunbar's 30-22 playoff loss. This is the same defense that shut down Stevenson's vaunted running game en route to a Class 6A title showdown with Lincoln-Way.

With a dream-team backfield of Harvey, Medina and Webber, most quarterbacks could simply hand off the football and yawn.

That isn't the style of All-State first-teamer Ken Stopka of Palatine or his Team Tribune backup, Robert Cruz of Providence. Stopka completed 116 of 211 passes for 2,046 yards and 30 touchdowns with only two interceptions and set a state record with 176 attempts without an interception. Cruz clicked on 131 of 224 passes for 2,212 yards and 34 touchdowns. He needs four TD passes against Metamora to eclipse the all-time record set by Chad Gard of Danville Schlarman in '88.

Lincoln-Way wingback Nick Piazza rates with Mariani and Thornton quarterback Antwaan Randle El as the most dangerous offensive threats in the state. Piazza has caught 74 passes for 1,062 yards and 10 TDs while also rushing for 737 yards and 15 TDs.

"The thing about Nick, he's so calm and always comes through in the clutch situations," said Lincoln-Way coach Rob Glielmi of the speedy athlete who's headed to Illinois. "He comes up with the big run or catch or even the key block. He's been a clutch performer in every big game."

Another member of that talented junior class is Waubonsie Valley's 6-foot-3-inch, 220-pound tight end R.J. Luke, rated by one national scouting service among the top 50 players in his class. The Upstate Eight's co-player of the year caught 60 passes for 965 yards and eight touchdowns while also recording 10 sacks as a defensive end.

Lincoln-Way offensive lineman Sean Rufolo (6-4, 260) is being touted as the state's best at his position, one reason why Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan State and Wyoming are lining up for his services. He could be lining up alongside O'Fallon's Josh Smith (6-6, 280), who has made an oral commitment to the Spartans.

Bloom's outstanding center, Luke Butkus (6-4, 265), will be running interference for Piazza next fall in Champaign. Mt. Carmel's Rich Chorak (6-3, 255) heads what many consider the top offensive line in the state, and Bolingbrook's Anthony Herron (6-5, 255) is a big reason the Raiders had 2,000-yard rushers the last two years.

Just in case this All-State attack were to stall, enter Josh Zupancic. The Riverside-Brookfield senior was 8 for of 12 on field goals, including conversions from 52, 50, 48 and 47 yards. He also caught 44 passes for 972 yards. "He's only been playing football for one year," said R-B coach Otto Zeman. "He was a premier soccer player who turned out to be our best receiver."

Thompson was perhaps the state's most intimidating presence, posting 108 total tackles, 18 for losses. Rucker, the Public League's premier college prospect, had 120 tackles and 16 sacks.

Providence's Matt Uremovich heads a linebacking corps that includes Stevenson's Jeff Skibitsky--a second-team choice last year. Uremovich could wind up at Florida State, Northwestern or Georgia Tech next fall. Michigan-bound Kurt Anderson (6-4, 240) of Glenbrook South also played fullback, tight end, split end, defensive end and long snapper in a playoff loss to Wheaton North. Naperville Central's Jason Nolda was voted the top defensive player in the rugged DuPage Valley Conference.

New Trier's cool-hand quarterback Mark Floersch, Joliet's Eric Parker and Wheaton South's Terrance Moore join Mariani in the secondary. Scouts predict Floersch (6-4, 185) will be a top Division I safety. Parker, headed to Tennessee, caught 48 passes for 868 yards and 10 TDs while picking off six and returning two for scores. Moore hits like a linebacker, but at 6-3, 185 can also cover a wideout.

A second-team linebacker who merits notice is Scott Nelson, who led Minooka to the 4A semifinals with 173 total tackles and five interceptions.

Punter Tim Stratton of York averaged more than 41 yards per attempt and also caught 56 passes for 860 yards and six TDs. He's a repeat selection as the West Suburban Silver's player of the year.